BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

[Ralph Turner]

The only assurance in the ASC until they go to an 8 team western regional is to win the conference tournament.
...

Respectfully, no!

An 8-team regional does not mean the ASC gets a Pool C bid!

Please read the FAQ on the front page and the baseball handbook to review the way Pool C bids are awarded.

UT-Dallas went as a Pool C bid to the 6-team regional in 2007.

[chakote]

The only assurance in the ASC until they go to an 8 team western regional is to win the conference tournament.
...

Respectfully, no!

An 8-team regional does not mean the ASC gets a Pool C bid!

Please read the FAQ on the front page and the baseball handbook to review the way Pool C bids are awarded.

UT-Dallas went as a Pool C bid to the 6-team regional in 2007.

Ralph, Jim are you guys here at the games at Fox cities? If so I would like to catch up with you one of the days you are here, we play tomorrow at 4:30 we will be at the stadium around 2 or 3 and we are home team tomorrow and will be on the third base side of the field. So if you would be kind as to introduce yourself Jim, and Ralph we have already met ;I would recognize you so hopefully we will catch up with each other tomorrow.
Passed ball from Cortland in the bottom of the ninth and scored the winnning run for Trinity what a shame to have to lose after such a great game by what looks like a very sound and talented Cortland team.

[Ralph Turner]

Actually, I am working this weekend and sitting by my computer to follow the action.

Go West Region!

[chakote]

Actually, I am working this weekend and sitting by my computer to follow the action.

Go West mallllllllllRegion!

I am sory to hear that and I was really hopng to be be able to have a Iced tea with you and discuss what ever.
   Is Jim here do you know? If he is could you please pass on the info and let him know that i would love to get just one tenth of the knowledge out of him.and just get to kno him.
thanks Raloh and sorry that you couldn't make it. talk to you soon

[Ralph Turner]

Actually, I am working this weekend and sitting by my computer to follow the action.

Go West mallllllllllRegion!

I am sorry to hear that and I was really hoping to be be able to have a Iced tea with you and discuss what ever.
Is Jim here do you know? If he is could you please pass on the info and let him know that i would love to get just one tenth of the knowledge out of him.and just get to know him.
thanks Ralph and sorry that you couldn't make it. talk to you soon

Jim Dixon is there.  You can find his picture on the front page under "About D3basebll.com".

[Pat Coleman]

Jim is there -- he's kind of busy so he may not be trolling the message boards but he's there for all of the games, yes.

[chakote]

Jim is there -- he's kind of busy so he may not be trolling the message boards but he's there for all of the games, yes.

Pat we are over on the third base side and I am sitting with my wife and daughter, my daughter is in a wheelchair and so we will be sitting on top most likely so if you are walking around it would be a honor if you would stop and introduce yourself. Go Chapman

[Pat Coleman]

I'm sorry -- I'm working the site from home this year. Jim is our man on site.

[TexasBB]

Ralph,

I am more than aware that an 8 team region does not guarntee that a second ASC team will be given a bid. I was also aware the UTD was given a bid in 2007.  Howerver, it has been rare that the ASC is given a second team based on the 6 team region. The chances are much better with an 8 team region. I honestly believe that if there was an 8 team region this year that another team from the ASC would have received a bid.

The confluance of events that enabled UTD to get a bid are unlikely to happen again. Honestly UTD was weaker than UTT was this year. In 2007 UTD finshed second in the ASC East. They were swept by UTT in their 3 game series. They only got the top bid because UTT was a provisional member. In the conference tournament they were beaten in the semi-finals the same as what happened to UTT this year. Their record was inferior to what UTT posted this year. They got in because the representative of the SCAIC was Austin College a team with barely a .500 record that year. They beat Austin college in the reguar season but so did UTT. In face I recall that Spence critized UTT for even playing Austin College as part of a "weak" schedule in 2007. 

Thus it was just a strange confluence of events that enabled UTD to get a bid. That is not likely to repeat itself. Thus with a 6 team region the ASC is not likely to get more than one team. With an 8 team region the probablilities improve. Granted that in theory a team from the ASC can be picked to go to another region. However that is rare and it would likely have to be Mississippi College or Louisaina College assuming their teams are good enough also possibley Ozarks. But I don't give that much of a chance either since Ozarks won 30 games this year and did not get a bid. 

The other possibility is for the ASC to split into two leages. That might happen but not for a couple of more years. I think at least 2 more teams would have to be added. So for now we can only count on the Conference champion. The likelyhood of another team with a 6 team region is I would speculate at 1 in 3 at best. With an 8 team region the probabilities go up to maybee 6 in 10. That is mere speculation on my part but no doubt an 8 team region improves the ASC's odds.

[The U For Life]

Guess now that our season is over i can now post all the injuries and casualties we sustained through out the year.  Not that it matters but anyways here it is.

Pitcher Blaine Wieck - torn labrum
Pitcher Trey Hellman - torn labrum
Pitcher Jordan Lamb - transferred at break.  would have really helped us
Pitcher Jacob Ashcraft - problems with shoulder, probably going to have surgery this summer
Pitcher Arnold Toombs - The weirdest thing I have ever seen happen except for maybe Yurchick's injury.  While taking batting practice before the game against MHBU, in which he was scheduled to pitch he is hit with a line drive.  He was the bucket man and somehow the ball barely flew over the net and hit him in the head.  He sustained a concussion and was unable to pitch.  He never started again and was delegated to reliever
Pitche/1b Brent Voorhees - messed up shoulder in a game he pitched and won vs. Chapman first series of the year.  Later hurt it worse in freak accident against Howard Payne.  Was only able to swing with one arm the rest of the year.
Pitcher Dakota Smith - discovered he had a slight tear and extreme case of tendinitis in labrum after the Conference Championship.  Have to ask, if 100% healthy how many runs Chapman scores off him.  They only scored 3, but wonder if things would have been different.
Pitcher Aaron Redman - quit during the year because he was unhappy with playing time
Second Baseman Weston Franco - had tears in his hamstring and broke a finger in 2 spots
Second Baseman Steven Yurchick - was moved from the OF during the year.  Had a freak accident when he dove for a ball and his thigh hit the lip of the infield.  His thigh got 2 times bigger and was one of the weirdest injuries i have ever seen.
Second Baseman Greg Guse - while filling in for Nate Love at the first of the year against Chapman he tore his labrum
Catcher Thomas Beckham - pulled hamstring, re-aggravated it twice
Catcher Jeff Jackson - caught a ball wrong and his hand became swollen and missed a series or two
Outfielder Lance Jones - aggravated groin vs. SRU and had to wear a wrap the rest of the year to keep it from pulling
Outfielder Gerad Morris - extreme case of tendinitis in shoulder all year which limited him from throwing as hard as he could.  Whats weird is he still had the best arm on the team
First Baseman/ Catcher Ross Shores - quit after the TLU series because he was unhappy with playing time
Shortstop/ Second baseman Evan Reece - had nerve problems in his lower back.  This guy pushed Weston Franco in the fall to the point where coach told Weston that if he did not play well at the first of the season that Evan would be inserted.  This guy if healthy would have been great for us.  Would have put up huge numbers for us.  Lead the team in homers in the fall.

I think that about covers it.  Dont think i forgot anyone, but would be very easy to.  Didnt include the guys with arm fatigue cause every team has that late in the year. 

[Ralph Turner]

Texas BB, I think that you are clear on the matter of Pool C bids, but I want our readers to understand that the brackets are set up after the bids are allocated.

The biggest factor that I see in bid allocation is that Cal State East Bay is going to D-II.  That strong contender for a Pool B bid is likely going away after 2009.  Since the West Region is the only Region that requires plane flights, and since the NCAA is likely to stay with the 6-team or the 8-team brackets (unless they give an odd-number of bids, e.g., 55 bids in 2009 or 2010).

Having seen George Fox and Adrian earn Pool C bids without a conference tournament, I agree with Jim Dixon that having conference tourney inflicts 2 extra losses that only hurt the chance for a Pool C bid.

You are right about the conference bid...Win it all!

[Ralph Turner]

U,

Thanks for the list.

I guess my own selfish response to players that are unhappy with the playing time (and quit) is that injuries happen.  This is a long season and teams that are going far need depth.

Baseball is a team sport.  Sometimes you will be asked to take that certain pitch or advance the runner.  As I have watched the National Championship, I have been amazed at how many teams have resorted to small-ball, especially at a large park like Grand Chute, WI.  That park is 385' to the power alleys (405' in right center) with a 25' fence!  Small ball takes much more discipline to play, especially when every pitcher is a Kitchens or a Yacko!

Several of those guys walked away from a championship and the chance to play in the West Regionals.  I don't know what else was involved in their decision, but a unique attribute about winners is that they never quit.

I was always an under-sized, under-talented athlete, but I think that my father wanted me to learn the lessons of tenacity, hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.  Sports gives quantifiable measurements in those areas that are easier to judge than almost any other human endeavor!

That is why we really play the games!

[AGMAN]

Guess now that our season is over i can now post all the injuries and casualties we sustained through out the year.  Not that it matters but anyways here it is.

Pitcher Blaine Wieck - torn labrum
Pitcher Trey Hellman - torn labrum
Pitcher Jordan Lamb - transferred at break.  would have really helped us
Pitcher Jacob Ashcraft - problems with shoulder, probably going to have surgery this summer
Pitcher Arnold Toombs - The weirdest thing I have ever seen happen except for maybe Yurchick's injury.  While taking batting practice before the game against MHBU, in which he was scheduled to pitch he is hit with a line drive.  He was the bucket man and somehow the ball barely flew over the net and hit him in the head.  He sustained a concussion and was unable to pitch.  He never started again and was delegated to reliever
Pitche/1b Brent Voorhees - messed up shoulder in a game he pitched and won vs. Chapman first series of the year.  Later hurt it worse in freak accident against Howard Payne.  Was only able to swing with one arm the rest of the year.
Pitcher Dakota Smith - discovered he had a slight tear and extreme case of tendinitis in labrum after the Conference Championship.  Have to ask, if 100% healthy how many runs Chapman scores off him.  They only scored 3, but wonder if things would have been different.
Pitcher Aaron Redman - quit during the year because he was unhappy with playing time
Second Baseman Weston Franco - had tears in his hamstring and broke a finger in 2 spots
Second Baseman Steven Yurchick - was moved from the OF during the year.  Had a freak accident when he dove for a ball and his thigh hit the lip of the infield.  His thigh got 2 times bigger and was one of the weirdest injuries i have ever seen.
Second Baseman Greg Guse - while filling in for Nate Love at the first of the year against Chapman he tore his labrum
Catcher Thomas Beckham - pulled hamstring, re-aggravated it twice
Catcher Jeff Jackson - caught a ball wrong and his hand became swollen and missed a series or two
Outfielder Lance Jones - aggravated groin vs. SRU and had to wear a wrap the rest of the year to keep it from pulling
Outfielder Gerad Morris - extreme case of tendinitis in shoulder all year which limited him from throwing as hard as he could.  Whats weird is he still had the best arm on the team
First Baseman/ Catcher Ross Shores - quit after the TLU series because he was unhappy with playing time
Shortstop/ Second baseman Evan Reece - had nerve problems in his lower back.  This guy pushed Weston Franco in the fall to the point where coach told Weston that if he did not play well at the first of the season that Evan would be inserted.  This guy if healthy would have been great for us.  Would have put up huge numbers for us.  Lead the team in homers in the fall.

I think that about covers it.  Dont think i forgot anyone, but would be very easy to.  Didnt include the guys with arm fatigue cause every team has that late in the year. 

Wow, what kind of conditioning and arm care program did they have - This sure looks like an inordinate amount of injury!

[The U For Life]

I couldn't agree more Ralph.  They walked away from something special and although we did not get as far as we would have liked, i feel we overcame a lot.  I will always be proud of our team for the heart we showed this year.  It seemed like one injury after the other. 

Agman,

Haha i know exactly what your thinking.  It was a weird weird season.  I think a couple of the injuries you can blame players being out of shape.  Hellman had taken a year off and was returning to baseball and so i feel like he might have just pushed his arm to fast and it wasnt ready for that.  I dont remember any of our pitchers having any type of injuries last year, so i guess they were all saved for this year unfortunately.  haha.  Anyways look for McMurry to have arguably the deepest pitching staff in the conference next year.  All four of the starters will return in Curry, Smith, Johnson, and Toombs.  Gaiona is coming back and pitched very well in relief at the end of  the year and Wieck should make some noise.  Also they will have Martin and Mcbride as their two lefty specialists.  The only pitchers they will be losing is Wood and Lee.  Unfortunately they will be losing 7 starting position players, so i expect the offense to take a huge step back.  Sucks to see Chapman lose in the World Series.  I was rooting for them because I love the way they play the game and they are a class act.  Unlike some good teams, they know how to win the right way.   

[Ralph Turner]

U,

As I have followed this series, it looks like the emphasis has been on small ball, especially in a park that seems bigger than any we play in.

How does a team switch gears, from setting home run records in a season, to speed, defense and pitching (almost pitching that we haven't seen in the last 2-3 years)?

Speaking as an ASC fan, second question for you or anyone else...

We didn't see UT-Tyler in the playoffs until this year.  Exclude 2007 UTT and before.  Therefore, which have been the best 3-5 pitching staffs, by season,  that we have seen in this decade?